Running-gear for automobiles.



L. T. GIBBS. RUNNING GEAR FUR AUTOMOBILES.

Patented Mar. 26, I901.

(Application filed May 25, 1900.1 {No Model.) 2 Sheets$heetl..

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Patented Mar. 26, I90].

L. T. GIBBS.

RUNNING GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES. (Application filed May 25, 1900. (NoModel.) 2 Sheets-$heet 2.

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Lucius 'r. en; is, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE VEHICLEEQUIPMENT COMPANY, or shine PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670.776, dated Marchiii-1901;

Application filed May 25, 1900. Serial No. 17,951. (lilo moueh To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUoIUs 'l. GIBBS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a residentof the city of New York, borough of 5 Brooklyn,inthe State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement inRunning-Gear for Automobiles, of which the following is. aspecification.

This invention is additional to my improve ment in running-gear forautomobiles described and claimed in a previous specification formingpart of United States Letters Patent No. 647,600, dated April 17, 1900,relating therewith to automobiles of every description as regards motivepower and to the improvement of the same with reference to securinggreater flexibility in the runninggear and reducing the strain on thesprings and steering-heads. The pedestal runhing-gear set forth in saidprevious specification comprises vertically-movable pedestalboxesconnected in pairs by the respective axles and pedestals rigidlyattached at top to the sills of the vehicle-body andserving to 2 5 limitthe play of said boxes and to transmit driving strains and shocks fromwheel and axle directly to said sills.

The present invention consists in a combination running-gear comprisingpedes- 3o tals, together with a platform or other type of running-gear,and in certain novel combinations of parts therein, as hereinafter setforth and claimed.

The objects of this invention are to retain 3 5 all the advantages ofthe pedestal-gear at one of the axles, and preferably the drivingaxle,where the functions of the pedestalboxes are most numerous andimportant, and at the same time to give the other axle (pref- 0 erablythe steering-axle) a larger adaptation to variety of equipment asregards springs than is practicable in connection with pedestals, tosupport such other axle by a reach or reaches Without connection betweenthe two axles themselves, and to provide for taking up startingandstopping strains and all major Y shocks at both axles by the single pairof pedestals.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 ofthe drawings are side and top views of theimprovedrunning-gear, the inner wheels being removed in the side view and thebrake mechanism and the steering devices omitted as'forming no part ofthe present invention, Fig. 3 is a front view, Fig. l a side view, andFig. 5 another front view, illustrating other equipments of thesteering-axle; and Fig. 6 is a top view of the steering-axle, showingthe form of reach rep- 6o resented in Figs. 4 and 5.

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts in all the figures.

In either form of the improved runninggear as shown in the drawings thedriving-axle A is combined with pedestal-boxes B, movable vertically inpedestals O, which are bolted or otherwise rigidly attached at top tothe sills of the vehicle-body X and slotted or otherwise adapted toguide such pedestal-boxes and to limit their individual verticalmovements, and suitable springs D are interposed between saidpedestal-boxes and the bottom of the vehicle-body, and these parts areor may be identical with the corresponding parts described in saidprevious specification. The steering-axle A has the customary pair ofsteering-heads 1 and 2 at its ends and is connected with the vehiclebodyby platform-springs D Without the interposition of pedestal-boxes or thelike, and said steering-axle is connected with the pedestal O by a reachor reaches E.

In the arrangement represented by Figs. 1' and 2 the springs D arefore-and-aft elliptic springs at the ends of the steering-axle A, and ahinge-joint 3 at the single end of a Y- shaped reach loosely connectsthe same with the axle A, so as to provide for the indepeudent'verticalplay of the steering-axle or of the body X, pedestals O, and reach Erela-- tively to the steering-axle. Said single end of the reach E isalso loose in the hinge-piece 3 at 90, so as to offer no resistance tothe independent vertical movements of the respec: tive ends of thesteering-axle. The joints 4 between the reach E and pedestals C may beof any kind.

In F ig. 3 a transverse elliptic spring is shown at D, and in Fig. 5 adouble spring in the form of a pair of semi-elliptic springs united backto back, illustrating the employmeet-at this end of the vehicle of anypreferred form and arrangement of springs-to suit the tastes ofdifferent purchasers.

In the arrangement represented by Figs. 4 and 6 a pair'of reaches E,connected .by slipcouplings 5 to the pedestals G, are connected with thesteering-axle A byhinges 3 to provide for independent vertical play, asabove.

In either arrangement the driving-axle A and its pedestal-boxes Bsupport the motor or motors M. The wheels W and W may be of any approvedmake, and the brake mechanism and steering devices maybe those describedin said previous specification or of any known or approved construction.

' In addition to the modifications above described a fifth-wheel maytake the place of the steering-heads', and other like modifications willsuggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I-Iaving thus described said improvement, I claim as'my invention anddesire to patent under this specification 1. Improved runninggearfor anautomobile, comprising two pairs of wheels with their axles, withoutconnection between such axlessills of said body, and serving to guidesaid boxes and to transmit strain and shocks from wheel and axledirectly to said sills, springs connecting the other axle with thevehiclebody, withoutpedestal or the like, and a reach or reaches eonncting the axle last named with said pedesta whereby major strains andshocks at both axles are transmitted to said sills of the body by oneand the same pair of pedestals.

2. The combination,in running-gear for antomobiles, of a driving-axle,pedestal-boxes for said axle, springs interposed between said boxes andthe vehicle-body, pedestals rigidly attached to the sills of said bodyand serving to guide said boxes and to transmit strain and shocks fromwheel and axle directly to said sills, a steering-axle, a spring orsprings connecting said axle with said body without pedestal or thelike, and a reach'or reaches connecting said steering-axle andpedestals.

3. The combination,in running-gear for automobiles, of a driving-axle,pedes al-boxes for said axle, springs interposed between said boxes andthe vehicle-bod y, pedestals rigidly attached to the sills of said bodyand serving to guide said boxes and to transmit strain and shocks fromwheel and axle directly to said sills, a steering-axle, a spring orsprings conneeting said steering -axle with said body without pedestalor the like, and a reach or reaches connecting said steering-axle withsaid pedestals and having'suitable provision for independent verticalplay, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

LUOIUS T. GIBBS. Witnesses:

CLARENCE W. Woon, ARTHUR F. Fox.

